Thomas Paine

Pomeranian

Born: 01/01/2011

Small

9 lbs

Male

Homeward bound-adopted!

Now living happily in Hermosa, South Dakota.

In July 2012, a sheriff of a small town in South Dakota called one of our directors, Julie, about 30 Pomeranians who were starving with no water. They were living in a patch of noxious weeds taller than most people. The owner/breeder had planned on shooting them, but she was allowed to willfully surrender them. The situation was one of the worst Julie had ever seen, and the rescue itself seemed impossible to carry out at times. Many of the tiny dogs were so feral and afraid that they bit and thrashed and screamed at the end of the catchpoles. Working in the heat and filth caused many rescuers to become ill. Newborn pups were found under boards near their mother, who was eating a dead bird. One fragile, terrified little Pom's fur was matted so badly that a frog was living in it. Julie and the sheriff were absolutely horrified by the sights and smells of that day.

Thomas Paine is, quite simply, the life of the party. When he arrived at the shelter he immediately hopped into a huge box of toys and tossed all of them out until he found the ones he wanted to play with. We had tears in our eyes watching this celebration of life as we struggled to understand how this tiny, filthy, abused dog could be having such fun. He is such a survivor and such a little hero. Thomas Paine has continued to spread his joy about the place, playing all sorts of dog games and flirting unmercifully with people. He is all about happiness, the most joyful little creature one could ever imagine. Other than having some deciduous teeth removed at his first dental appointment, Thomas Paine has absolutely no health problems and many more years of delighting any and all people who cross his path.

Buddy Messages (2)

His Buddy, Margaret Majors from Ft Atkinson, Wisconsin, sent him this message: "My dearest Mr. Thomas Paine, I am so honored to be your buddy during your time at HUA! Your "joie de vivre" in spite of your life's experiences reminds us that life is good and that every living thing is precious! May your Forever Family find you soon! Hugs and kisses from Margaret and "Josie"" Thomas sends Margaret and Josie many happy, grateful hugs and kisses.

His Buddy, Todd Fahner, from Portland, Oregon, sent him this message: "We so wish we could bring you home to meet our friends Harley, Teddy Bear & Gizmo. We hope you find a great forever home very soon. Todd & Sidney" Thomas sends Todd, Harley, Teddy Bear & Gizmo many happy, grateful hugs and kisses.

Thanks for Visiting Our Animals!

Hearts United for Animals is a national no-kill shelter, sanctuary and animal welfare organization. Hearts United for Animals does long distance adoptions if there are safe flights and we have volunteers in the area to do a home visit. We require an application, references and a home visit to adopt one of our dogs. Our dogs are all spayed or neutered and are current on health care. We can cat test a dog if requested. If you are interested in adopting a dog, we can give you more information on each dog if you click the Adoption Info & Application link above. Buddies are people who support the dog and send them love while they are waiting for their new home. The dog does not live with the buddy.